


Nothing breaks our wave, my love

by lunarblossoms



Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-19
Updated: 2020-09-19
Packaged: 2021-03-08 02:42:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,822
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26548438
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lunarblossoms/pseuds/lunarblossoms
Summary: EmetWol Week Day 7 : Eternal BondZeph dreams of the past and Emet surprises him with a gift.
Relationships: Solus zos Galvus | Emet-Selch/Warrior of Light
Comments: 1
Kudos: 12





	Nothing breaks our wave, my love

**Author's Note:**

> Making up my own lore here jsdfjsdjfk Who knows if the earring has any actual meaning in canon but I don't care. I made it important in Zeph's canon so that's that.
> 
> Title comes from Nothing by Asgeir.

It hadn't been a long day per say- not longer than most days, in any case. Talking with Lyna, meeting some of the guards, almost fighting sin eaters, and then the topic of "Warriors of Light" still lingering somewhere at the back of his subconscious, because it feels too important to forget entirely… 

Just the usual kind of duties, in the end. Definitely nothing Zeph can't handle.

But he still feels excessively tired for some reason, moreso in mind than in body. As he makes it to his room in the Pendants, he hastily strips out of his clothes and unceremoniously flops onto his bed, burying his face into his pillows and letting out a sigh. 

Mayhap a nap is what he needs, to refresh him and bring back a little of his energy; it's only early evening, after all, and Zeph would certainly like to spend at least a few hours out in Lakeland that night. Yes, just a small nap and he'll be good as new.

It doesn't take him long to doze off.

And he dreams. 

It almost seems... like something out of his control, whether fate or otherwise, intended for him to fall asleep just so he could have this dream.

Ever since he got a portion of his memories back, when Ardbert combined with his soul and brought with him the Echo that revealed to Zeph his past life, his dreams have been becoming more and more clear every time they occur. The thick fog that used to fill his mind that was always associated with his dreams, that made it impossible for him to recall the contents or why they felt so important to him, has slowly dissipated and he's started remembering more details each time, recognizing scenes and settings and people that he never would have known existed before.

It's… nice. More than nice, really. Being able to dream and remember a time long past: Amaurot as it once was, who he used to be. Seeing how little about him has changed even after all this time. Persy, Zeph… He's the same as ever; the same smile, the same laugh, the same love for his flowers and his dearest Emet. And of course, the number of times he dreams of Emet, of Hades…

In fact, the dream this time had been so clear that when Zeph awakens and blinks open his eyes to find Emet sitting at the edge of his bed, a soft smile on his lips as he gently brushes his fingers through Zeph's hair, it takes him several seconds longer to become aware that he is, in fact, conscious and not still within the dreamscape of his memories of Amaurot.

"I'm sorry," Emet murmurs, leaning forward and pressing a tender kiss to Zeph's forehead. "Did I wake you?"

Zeph stretches, unable to hold back a yawn in the process, and then he shakes his head, purring a bit when Emet scratches fondly at the base of his ears. "No, I woke of my own accord," he replies, his voice still laced with remnants of sleep. "And full glad am I that I did... That you are the first thing I see when I awake is truly a blessing."

At that, Emet's cheeks turn slightly rosy, expression somewhere between incredulous and bashful. "... How can you say such things without hesitation? Aren't you embarrassed at all?"

"Not in the slightest," Zeph hums, the sound filled with warmth as he reaches up with one hand and beckons for Emet to join him. "Why would I be? I'm only speaking the truth."

"The truth, hm? You certainly are incorrigible." Regardless of his teasing, he smiles again and moves away only to undress before obliging Zeph.

"Hades," Zeph says after a moment, waiting while his partner removes his robes and strips down until he's in only his underclothing.

Emet gives him a look when he doesn't immediately continue. "... What?" the Ascian asks as he moves back over to the bed, watching while Zeph shifts to make space for him and then climbing in beside him, at which point Zeph instantly clings to him, arms wrapping around his chest without hesitation. Yes, this… This is good. The warmth of Emet's skin against his, Emet holding him close, his fingers rubbing gentle circles under Zeph's shoulder blades as their heartbeats fall into sync almost instantly. It feels just as much like returning home as it does every time Emet holds him.

It takes a few more moments for Zeph to collect his thoughts enough to speak again but Emet waits patiently, saying nothing until Zeph is ready to go on. "There's something," he finally says, the scene from his dream flashing through his mind once more. He can see Hades, and himself- Persy- together in Persy's greenhouse, and he can't hear what Hades is saying but he feels like he can, like the words are dancing through his memory, ringing in his ears. "Right before the final days... You told me you had a gift for me."

Emet's eyes widen a fraction at that and Zeph can feel the stutter of his heartbeat where he rests his head against Emet's chest. "... You remember," he replies, so quietly that Zeph feels the vibrations of his voice more than he hears its sound. He nods slowly, nuzzling against Emet.

"You told Persy- me- that you would give it to me soon, but then you never had the chance... What was it?"

"I..." Emet seems to consider his words carefully, clockwork of his mind turning and turning before he lets out a sigh and sits up again, opting to hold out one of his hands in lieu of finishing his sentence. Zeph watches in fascination as something materializes in his palm in a swirl of black, something small and familiar.

"It's... an earring," he says, recognizing it as the same design that Emet has worn the whole time Zeph has known him.

"It was meant... or, I suppose, that is to say..." Emet sighs again. 

For once, he seems to be having trouble voicing his thoughts and there's something so endearing about it, as his cheeks color with a light pink again and he averts his gaze, that Zeph is almost overwhelmed with affection for his lover. 

"... A bonding gift," Emet finally gets out. "Back when everything was whole, we created a matching set of something that would serve as a reminder of our connection to our partners. Jewelry was common for most Amaurotines, of course... and I..." He swallows, his hands trembling a little as he reaches up and slowly removes one of Zeph's earrings and then replaces it with the one he brought forth. "I wanted more than anything... to give this to you. So you would know... So the whole world would know how much I love you."

Zeph's heart is pounding so hard he can barely breathe, the weight of the new earring hanging from his ear so subtle and yet impossible to miss. A bonding gift… Tying him irrevocably to Emet for now and forever, a symbol of their eternal love that has lasted for thousands of years, unbreakable even in the face of the sundering and separation for time untold… Marking them as soulmates.

He's shaking, lifting a hand almost subconsciously to feel the earring against his fingertips, tracing the shape of it. So much meaning is held within something so small, something that Zeph will now get to keep with him always, like he's carrying a part of Emet with him even if Emet isn't always there in person. Nothing else in the world has ever felt more special than this, Zeph is absolutely certain.

He lets out a quiet sigh- and then he turns to Emet and the tears are falling, dripping down his cheeks with reckless abandon as he abruptly throws himself forward into Emet's arms and buries his face in Emet's chest.

"Zeph-" Emet starts to say, concern ringing clear in his voice as he immediately shifts to wrap his arms around Zeph, but Zeph is quick to cut him off.

"I'm so happy," he breathes out, holding onto Emet as tightly as he can, to the point that even his tail has snaked its way around Emet's waist, a tender warmth overflowing from his heart as if it were a cup filled to the brim with love that can't be contained and has no choice but to swim outward, sweeping through his bloodstream until it reaches every corner of his body. Even his soul feels warm, his very aether pulsing with an unrivaled radiance. "I'm yours… I've always been yours," he murmurs, muffled into Emet's skin. "Gods, I love you so much, I can't stand it-!"

He feels Emet chuckle softly, the sound vibrating in his skull, and then he feels lips pressed gently against the top of his head. "I love you too, my precious flower," he whispers. "Always have, and always will."

Zeph melts against him. He's never felt so in love, or so loved; nothing could ever compare to being with Emet like this. And his mind wanders a bit, imagining something he might not have thought of before now.

"Maybe," he mumbles, sniffling a bit now that his tears have slowed to a stop. "we could have a ceremony, once things have settled down and we've managed to bring everyone's souls back to the Source… It could just be something small, nothing fancy- just us and my friends- and we don't even have to have to dress up or anything. And instead of rings, we could have a simple exchange of these earrings, just to make it all feel official."

He's rambling, he knows, his face growing warmer by the second as he thinks about the possibility of… of actually getting married to Emet. A dream come true, it certainly would be.

And Emet chuckles again, the sound amused and fond. "If you want a ceremony, dearest, then we'll have a ceremony."

The happiness that swells in Zeph's chest makes him feel fit to burst. He beams at Emet and then flops down onto his bed with full force, bringing Emet with him and causing the Ascian to grunt at the impact.

"... Did you not want to get back to your studies of Lakeland at some point tonight?" Emet says pointedly after a few minutes of laying there with Zeph, though he makes no effort to move and instead embraces Zeph tighter against him as he shifts to pull the sheets up over the both of them.

Zeph hums, cuddling even closer to Emet and smiling contentedly. "Perhaps later," he replies. "For now… I just want to stay like this."

He's answered by a warm laugh, one that makes Zeph feel like he's wrapped up in sunlight. "As you wish," Emet says.

Zeph could not have asked for a better night, really. This is all he needs.


End file.
